Next week, a rare ‘alignment’ of five planets will be visible in the night sky

This March, a five-planet alignment will be visible in the night sky, bringing Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Uranus, and Mars into view for skygazers.

The planets will line up in the night sky on March 28 and, according to NASA scientist Bill Cooke, the alignment will be “very pretty.”

In the evening sky, a waxing crescent Moon will be accompanied by Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Uranus, and Mars. It should be visible from anywhere in the world, but depending on where you are, you might not be able to see it. You should aim to have a clear view of the horizon to have the best chance of seeing the planets.

Venus will be higher in the sky and simpler to see, claims Fienberg. However, Uranus, which will be visible close to Venus, will seem weak and can only be seen via binoculars. Near the Moon, Mars will appear comparatively brighter.

Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn were all in the same place in the sky in June of last year, which was a true planetary alignment. That was the first time in the preceding 18 years that everything had fully lined up, and another 40 years will pass before it finally does. The five planets were aligned in June’s event in the same order as their distances from the Sun, which added to their significance.